A friend of mine and pro hunter once took a rushed shot at a Bushbuck. He buggered up the shot and the arrow ended up bouncing of the gravel just in front of him and it nailed the buck just behind the shoulder. Double lung shot.

You guys ?

I'd been shooting a bow for about three weeks when I went on my first bow hunt. It was on the property of a rather well known gentleman who let members of our universities' Rod and Gun Club bow hunt on a property of his for management does and feral hogs. He has a full time caretaker, who placed us appropriately, so the outcome of the hunt was largely up to spotting game and making a shot... the ground work was done for us.

A doe and a yearling doe came out about an hour before dark and came to within about 7 yards. Floored that I was going to get to shoot at a deer, I drew back, dropped my bow arm like a true novice and shot cleanly over the doe's back. The doe stood still... confused at what had just whistled past her and went back to browsing around. I drew another arrow and aimed lower and spined her! I used my last arrow to ease her passing more quickly. That I considered to be a "lucky" shot!

The next three weeks I went back there, and killed two more deer and a wild hog. The place is a haven for game. I hunted there right through college and took several deer and several hogs from there. Only twice did I ever not at least see a deer or hog... a very nice piece of land indeed.

Shafted by Barb Wire

Last spring I was chasing turkeys in Nebraska -- after a bit of sitting in my Double Bull blind I had fallen asleep to be awaken by the racket of turkeys all around my blind. I was literally surrounded by well over a dozen birds. One particular Jake passed by my shooting port several times but I was holding out for the big guy that I knew was with the flock. However, things were getting a bit too complex as one bird was literally lying against my blind. I realized the slightest oops on my part and I would be busted with end of game.
My blind was flat against a decrepit fence adjacent to an overgrown wind break which provided considerable cover for the flock. The oversexed Jake was running around all over the place as only the young and restless can do. I finally decided that one more pass by the window and I would introduce him to my sharp stick and hopefully my dinner table.
He came around the corner and started to do his junior strut, facing directly at me. I normally would not take that shot but -- oh well the arrow was on its way------------------nothing happened -- as in nothing!-- the Jake was still standing and doing his thing. I was totally astonished that I had missed a bird standing less than ten yards away when I noticed the fletching and my arrow standing vertically against his chest. He was standing there literally trying to figure out what the heck that thing was in front of him and between his legs.
I then noticed the piece of errant barb wire sticking out from the fence that had deflected my arrow down and into the ground between his legs. The look on that bird (imagined on my part I am sure) was such that there was no way I could sling another stick at him and let him live till another day.

First buck ever, he walked straight to me, looked up at me and well, the rest is history.

Had a doe come by real spooky one evening. Shouldn't have shot as she was moving. When she heard the bow, she turned and started to run as the arrow slit the main artery at the base of the neck(where her vitals were). I thought it was a clean miss, but she ran about 75 yards and just stood there for a few seconds and fell over. I couldn't believe I'd hit her as I was almost sure she'd jumped string. The absolute best blood trail I've ever seen, sprayed all over the place right up to her and where she stood for those seconds it was like a scene from a horror movie.

Reloader

I was hunting in Zimbabwe and I had been siiting in a hide for a couple hours when my PH came driving up in the bakke and said jump in. He had spotted a heard of Tsessebe and wanted to see if we could get a shot.

When we got to where he had seen them , they were walking into some thick brush. The bull was at the back of the herd and I was able to get a hurried shot off at 60 yards. The bull was walking and quartering away at about 45 degrees. I led him and released. At that moment he paused to look back and my arrow "ear-holed" him perfectly.

He went stiff-legged and fell over. The black trackers fell on the ground hooping and laughing. They thought I was great but I knew better. I hade made a foolish shot and simply gotten lucky.

Shot a doe last fall, good double lung shot, came out from behind some trees and I was on the ground. She ran but behind her on the ground was another deer kicking. Didnt see the other one come out from behind the trees, about 10 yards farther out. Nailed her right in the head, good thing I had an extra tag along!

eye-doc, where in zim were you hunting ?

My luckiest shot was a baboon in Botswana. We were sitting over a waterhole patiently waiting for a nice wildebeest. I had told my PH that i wanted a baboon should a good shot present itself. He didn't think i would be very lucky with this as he had not had a bowhunter hit one yet. Well, i was the first...barely.

As the baboon came in to drink it dropped it's entire body down and started sipping. Of course he was about 34 yards out at the far end of the waterhole. I placed the pin on his shoulder area and released. At the shot he started to move and i ended up smacking him right in the side of the head, just above the jaw and into the head. Thank goodness i had chosen a four blade head for this animal. He ran off and bled out shortly. I will have the skull (with broadhead) on my desk. Doing a full mount on him as well. Nearly a miss that turned out just fine!

Had been bow hunting about 2 years when, late one afternoon, almost too dark to shoot, a BIG doe was coming right towards me. She got to where I had walked to my stand and she winded me. She turned an ran a semi circle around and behind me. I could just barely turn far enough to get off a shot. It was errant and hit her in the back leg. I could have just kicked myself for taking the shot in the first place. I waited till dark to get down out of the stand and went to where she was standing and there was blood everywhere. I went home and got my son to help track her. It was the best blood trail I have ever seen. We tracked her easily for about 150 yds and found her dead. The arrow had hit the large artery in her hind leg and she bleed profusely. It was the largest doe I have ever killed. An inch either direction and I would have lost her.

These are good....keep 'em coming!

FC- Was hunting on a ranch east of Harare with Mush Nichols. WE hunted several places on the trip including Humani in the Save River Valley Conservancy. Was a great trip that resulted in many fine trophies.

My brother in-law, being the idiot that he is, managed to kill a 350 lb. hog with my father in-law's 50lb recurve about 15 years ago. He managed a heart/lung shot from about 40 yards. The arrow? A mango branch with a drill bit duct taped to the end. Lucky shot... I think not. Pure stupidity... absolutely!

eye doc, mush and his brother hilton are really great friends of mine. they are both brilliant Ph's and bow hunters. Saw mush just before easter. Humani is an amazing place and ive spent many wonderfull trips there